Surge in coronavirus cases reported in Lebanon after deadly Beirut harbor blast

A surge in coronavirus cases were reported in Lebanon on Monday after a deadly blast earlier this month at a harbor in Beirut. 

Medical officials in Lebanon on Monday called for a two-week lockdown to mitigate the spread of the virus after the surge in new cases, The Associated Press reported. 

The health ministry on Monday registered 456 new coronavirus cases and two deaths, a new daily record after Sunday’s 439 cases and six fatalities, according to the newswire. Lebanon has reported a total of 9,337 coronavirus cases and 105 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

Around 180 people were killed in the Aug. 4 explosion of nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the port, and more than 6,000 were wounded, according to the AP. 

The blast overwhelmed hospitals in the city and badly damaged two that had a key role in handling the virus, and medical officials had warned of the dangers of crowding at hospitals in the aftermath of the explosion, the newswire noted.